To mourn

Hi,

can you say that a person mourns somebody who is not dead, even him- or herself? I have to add that it is not pejorative as self-pity. It's grief for a tragedy that does not involve death.


So, is it possible to say:"I mourn myself"?

You can mourn (for) a dead person, a lost thing, a past event.

eg I mourn my lost innocence.

But

I have used the word figuratively to describe the situation with my dog who died at the age of 20, but whose last two years of life were anything but pleasant (deaf, blind, arthritic). I say that I mourned for that dog even before she died; when I finally had her put to sleep, I had already done my mourning.

I'm sorry to hear that. I could share that same sentiment.

Hi Clive

ok, thank you.

Or could I say: "I cry for myself"?

It refers to a person who is so traumatized that they're having an out of body experience, as if they were someone from the outside looking in while it's they own self they're looking in.
It's hard to explain.

Hi,

There's no reason why you can't try to use it in a case like that. Writers are allowed to be creative with language. You just need to do it in a context in which the reader will have a chance of understanding your intended meaning.

Best wishes, Clive